Along with being the number one wrestling promotion in the world, the WWE is also a cultural phenomenon that crosses boundaries and infiltrates all walks of life. While serious fans will talk your ear off about why Vince McMahon needs to stop shoving Roman Reigns everywhere or discuss the merits of AJ Styles Championship run, even the most casual of fans are aware of the organization thanks to the high profile of former UFC fighters Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey who have joined the promotion. With the WWE making such a huge impression on the media landscape it's no surprise many WWE superstars have been transformed into memes and gifs over the years. Meme culture is particularly massive these days with people using images with captions to create funny jokes or get across their point in a hilarious way and wrestling provides the ultimate opportunity for meme creators. They can also be used to sum up complex storylines or detailed backstage plots with one simple image, making it much easier for fans to communicate what is going on in the wrestling world in a funny and viable way.
Scouring the internet you will come across thousands of WWE based memes along with hundreds of social media accounts collecting the funniest and most inventive memes. To save you from spending your spare time trawling the net I've collected 25 of the best WWE memes that will leave you laughing for hours.
22 Forever The Bridesmaid
The majority of wrestling fans agree Dolph Ziggler is a fantastic wrestler who's unfortunately never gotten the plaudits he deserves. A tremendous worker, great seller, and charismatic on the mic, Ziggler has it all but has never been seen by the higher-ups as anything more than a solid worker. Debuting as the caddy for Chavo Guerrero's Kerwin White golf themed character in 2005, Ziggler then went on to become part of the Spirit Squad. After failing to set the world on fire he was sent back to developmental before returning as Dolph Ziggler in 2008. Since then he has won the Intercontinental Championship five times, the United States Championship two times, and the WWE Heavyweight Championship twice, although both reigns were short. He's achieved much in his time at WWE but one thing that still eludes him is a solo match at WrestleMania. The meme above began doing the rounds during WrestleMania season and takes a shot at Ziggler's unfortunate record of never having had a singles match at the showcase of the immortals. In true Vince McMahon fashion, he is the one pulling the rib and getting the last laugh on the confused Ziggler who appears destined to never have his WrestleMania moment.
21 Step Brothers
As far as odd pairings go they don't get any stranger than Daniel Bryan and Kane. The two were involved in a feud that also included CM Punk and the WWE title during 2012. While neither managed to capture the gold both became extremely aggressive and prone to violent outbursts chasing the gold and were forced to attend anger management classes together. These hilarious segments saw the two form a weird bond and the duo ended up forming a tag team and going on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. Starting off as enemies they became good friends and provided audiences with hours of fun, showcasing both their in-ring skills and comedic timing. This meme captures the duo as step-brothers from the film of the same name. I really like the creativity of this meme as it mirrors the relationship of Bryan and Kane. Like Ferrel and Reilly in the film, the two hate each other at first but by the films, end best friends, similar to Bryan and Kane. Although Kane did chokeslam Bryan through a table late last year, the two have a begrudging respect for each other and remain WWE favorites.
20 It's A Tough Job
Referees are the unheralded superstars of the WWE universe. Although there only duty is to call a match down the line fairly they are often on the receiving end of accidental hits and attacks from wrestlers. I've lost count of the number of matches I've seen where a ref gets knocked out accidentally by a wrestler or is attacked mercilessly by a superstar after a loss. It's a tough job, and in the immortal words of famed comedian Rodney Dangerfield, they get "no respect."
This meme is a perfect example of fans attitude towards WWE refs.
Although the referees are an important part of the wrestling world many fans have a less than favorable view of them because they appear to do nothing but interfere in matches. Often you'll see them making hand gestures that make no sense or intervening at the worst times during a match. Most of the time they just appear to be present so there is someone to count one, two, three when the match is over and declare a winner. While I think there is more to it than that, this meme certainly thinks refs don't do a great deal when in the ring. So if you're feeling like your life isn't great and you're not achieving much, just remember how useless WWE refs can be.
19 You Can't Wrestle
John Cena has the ideal look of a wrestler. He's six foot one of pure muscle who looks like he could crush you with his bare hands. He's been the face of the WWE for over a decade and has done it all. A 16 time world champion, Cena has often been criticised for his lack of wrestling ability over the journey. His move set is often described as the five moves of doom, consisting of a flying shoulder block, a sitout hip toss, a side-release spinout powerbomb, his patented Five Knuckle Shuffle (fistdrop), and ending with the Attitude Adjustment (Fireman's Carry Takeover). Fans often get stuck into Cena about his lack of diversity and this meme sums it up in one image. Not only does Cesaro, one of the more technically skilled guys on the roster, take shots at Cena's wrestling ability but also his attire.
As most people are aware, Cena wears jean shorts and sneakers when he wrestles, a very strange combination.
Most wrestlers wear actual boots to keep their feet in a solid foundation and help prevent injuries, but Cena is one of the few to wear sneakers during his career. So as the meme says, not only does he not wear boots but he can't wrestle.
18 Squash Match
As this meme explains, most people associate squash with the vegetable of the same name, but in wrestling terms, the word is used to describe an extremely one-sided match that ends quickly with one wrestler dominating the other. To demonstrate this the meme uses an image of Randy Orton beating Rusev and posing on the ring apron. As wrestling fans are well aware, Rusev recently went through a torrid time where he was routinely beaten quickly by his opponents without getting in many of his own moves. He was regularly defeated by many different wrestlers but Randy Orton was one who featured heavily when it came to dishing out beatings to Rusev and keeping his losing streak going. The 13 time world champion is often used in squash matches to hand out beatings to other wrestlers while making himself look good. Despite Rusev going through such a rough patch, he is back in favor with both the fans and management and is winning matches and becoming a credible threat who could finally have the chance to face off for the WWE Championship in the near future. Let's just hope he doesn't run into Orton anytime soon.
17 Don't Mess With Ronda
Ronda Rousey joining the WWE was massive news when it was announced early this year. The former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion took the mixed martial arts world by storm and became one of the biggest drawcards in UFC history. After two devastating losses to Holy Holm and Amanda Nunes, Rousey decided to retire from the octagon and try her luck in the squared circle, signing a contract with the WWE. It's a huge play by the WWE and another demonstration of the companies ability to crossover into the mainstream and hire talent who the general population are aware of and will tune in to see how they go in the wrestling world. When she first joined there were many questions about Rousey's wrestling ability, as professional wrestling is very different from UFC or any other martial arts fighting competition. This was incorporated into the storyline when Stephanie McMahon questioned Rousey's in-ring ability, wondering if the former champion has what it takes to be a WWE superstar. Steph was soon put in her place when Rousey attacked her and placed her in her patterned armbar finisher and made Steph tap out, leaving nobody in doubt about her credentials.
16 The Gift Of Jericho
When he finally decides to retire Chris Jericho will go down as one of the all-time greats. He's only the fourth Grand Slam Champion (meaning he's won every title on offer in the WWE) in history and currently holds the IWGP Intercontinental Championship in the New Japan Pro-Wrestling organization, the first title he's won as part of the company. What makes Jericho such an entertaining and must-see wrestler is not just his skills, but the fact he manages to reinvent himself every time he comes back to the WWE. Along with being a wrestler, Jericho is part of the rock band Fozzy, a best selling author, and an actor. He often takes time out from wrestling to pursue these activities before returning in a new guise. One of his most recent returns found Jericho wearing a large scarf draped over his body, often wearing them without a shirt. It was an unusual look Jericho never explained and left people fascinated and is another small but interesting detail of his character. This meme depicts people's thoughts on the scarfs, with Dean Ambrose, like the majority of the wrestling audience, wanting to know why Jericho is wearing a scarf?
15 Chick Magnet > Walk With Elias
Of all the new WWE superstars making waves, Elias is surely the next to get his shot at championship gold. His gimmick is that of a guitar-playing rock star who believes he is the biggest thing in the world of wrestling. He will appear in the middle of the ring and sing a defamatory song about the city the WWE is in before being rudely interrupted by another wrestler and getting involved in a match. At the beginning of his performance, he is quick to remind everyone WWE actually stands for "Walk With Elias" and not World Wrestling Entertainment.
This is a clever play on words, but as far as nicknames go it's not as great as former star CM Punk.
This meme details both men discussing the meaning of their nicknames, with Punk revealing the CM stands for Chick Magnet. During his early days, Punk was part of a tag team known as The Chick Magnets and took the initials as part of his full wrestling name. Although he never officially confirmed the meaning during his time with WWE, during his recent lawsuit against the company he was forced to take the stand where he explained under oath CM stands for Chick Magnet. While Walk With Elias is great, being known as the Chick Magnet is much better, so I have to agree with this meme, Punk has the better nickname.
14 Tag Team Match, Player
Theodore "Teddy " Long is one of the longest-serving General Managers in WWE history. Overseeing SmackDown for two tenures totaling six years, Long was an ever-present face of the weekly show, known for his ill-fitting suits, bad dancing, and use of the word player. Being GM was just another in a long line of jobs Long has held during his WWE career. He first debuted in the WWE in 1998 as a referee and was involved in some notable matches before transitioning to a manager where he looked after an assortment of stars, including Mark Henry, D'Lo Brown, Jazz, and Mark Jindrak. Popular amongst the backstage crew it wasn't long before he was promoted to the GM of SmackDown in 2004 after Kurt Angle was fired. It was during his time as GM fans began to warm to Long's odd behavior. One thing he's always remembered for is making tag team matches. If superstars were arguing in the ring or a match descended into chaos due to a run in he would come out and inform everyone involved they would be having a tag team match to settle their differences. He made one of these matches almost every week and fans would always anticipate his entrance. This meme plays on Long's love of tag team matches by making the man question who he really is by canceling a tag match. There is no way the real Teddy would do this so it's funny to see him looking upset at the decision.
13 Realest Guy In The Room
Before he was fired for some unspeakable acts, Enzo Amore was up there with the best guys on the mic in the WWE. First introduced as a tag team with Big Cass, Amore is a different cat who dressed funky and had some of the worst haircuts I've ever seen. As the mouthpiece for the duo Amore would arrive in the ring and deliver this opening promo, "My name is Enzo Amore, and I am a certified G, and a bona fide stud. And you can't teach that! And this right here, this is Big Cass, and he's 7 foot tall, and you can't teach that! Bada Boom, realest guys in the room!"
Unfortunately, when it came to in-ring action Amore is a horrible wrestler and Big Cass was left to do most of the work.
Even when the pair split and Amore when to 205Live and became the Cruiserweight Champion his wrestling skills barely improved. Amore relied on his mic skills and as this meme suggests, when Amore used to arrive without a mic everyone was left in shock like Charlotte Flair. Nobody wanted to see Amore wrestle but enjoyed his funny promos and mic work, so it was always a jolt to the system when he arrived to wrestle. Thankfully this didn't happen often and with Amore no longer in the company, there is no fear of him being part of another stinker.
12 Stone Cold Santa
At the height of the WWE's popularity in the late 90s Stone Cold Steve Austin was the company's most prized athlete. Austin was an everyman who wore jeans and a black vest and drunk beers after every match. He was a tough guy who took nothing from anyone and quickly established himself as a fan favorite. He also had one of the best finishing moves in the business, the stunner. Austin would effectively kick his opponent, and then grab them by the head and pull them down onto his shoulder as he fell to the floor. It might not sound great but this video package of the Rattlesnake handing out stunners should help demonstrate why it's such a fantastic move. Austin not only used the move as his finisher but would deliver stunners to anyone who annoyed him in anyway. In this meme, Stone Cold is giving a stunner to Santa Claus because he got clothes for Christmas. Easily one of the worst gifts to get, we've all wanted to take out our anger on the man in the red suit for a dodgy present, but Austin made it a reality when he gave the jolly fat man a vicious stunner during an episode of RAW in December of 1997. I've no doubt Stone Cold only got beer as a present from then on.
11 From Hero To Villain
The Dark Knight is remembered as not only the best Batman film of all time but for Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker. But the film also contains great support from Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two Face. One of his most memorable scenes depicts the lawyer discussing heroism with Bruce Wayne and what will become of Batman. He tells the billionaire playboy, "You can die the hero or live long enough to become the villain." The scene foreshadows his own transformation and the quote used for a variety of different memes. This particular meme uses the quote in reference to the rise and fall of Hulk Hogan who was banished from the WWE after audio tapes leaked of him. Although he apologized for his comments and has been actively trying to become a better person, Hogan still remains on the out with the WWE. But as anyone who is familiar with Vince McMahon understands, money talks, so when it looks like a dollar can be made there is no doubt Hogan will be back in the fold.
10 See No Evil
When the WWE announced they were getting into films it wasn't entirely unexpected. Considering the amount of acting wrestling involves the next step would be for the company to develop films for its talent to star in and hopefully make even more money. With a built-in audience, the films are most likely to break even at the worst and help get the product out in the mainstream media. Before the company formed WWE Studios their first feature film was the 1989 Hulk Hogan starring No Holds Barred, a film that doubled its budget upon release. The first three original films featuring talent from WWE Studios released were action flick The Condemned starring Stone Cold Steve Austin, the thriller The Marine starring John Cena, and horror flick See No Evil starring Kane. All three films received mixed reviews but See No Evil was the worst of the lot.
It currently holds a rating of 8% on movie review site Rotten Tomatoes and is a run of the mill teen slasher that will have you reaching for the stop button on your remote.
This meme is an accurate description of watching See No Evil, making you want to cry tears of sadness. Somehow a sequel was greenlit and released in 2016 and predictably went straight to DVD, but surprisingly has received much more favorable reviews than the original.
9 Cheap Cans Of Whoop
I've already mentioned how much of a cool dude Stone Cold Steve Austin was during his time in the WWE. His character was a hard-edged take no bull brawler who managed to capture the WWE Heavyweight Championship on six occasions. Loved by fans Austin was revered not only for his persona and look but also his promo work on the mic. Austin came up with many long-lasting catchphrases during his time in the business, including, "Austin 3:16," "What!" and "That's the bottom line cause Stone Cold said so." Another one of his most famous quotes was threatening to "Open a can of whoop..." on his opponent. This meme uses the legendary line in regards to Austin going shopping and stocking up on "cans of whoop ass." As you can see from the picture Austin is carrying a number of grocery bags full of whoop, so he's stocked up and ready to deliver a stunner to anyone who gets in his way. This is just one of many variants of this meme, with another using the caption, "Stone Cold looks like his mom just got home from food shopping and he grabbed any shoes near the door."
8 That's Not A Beard
2018 has been a tough year for John Cena. The face of WWE has slowly begun to wind down his schedule and in doing so has seen his time in the spotlight as the guy downgraded. After failing to win the Royal Rumble and losing his chance at the title at Elimination Chamber, Cena found his losing streak continuing when Undertaker quickly finished him off at WrestleMania. Unfortunately, it's only got worse since, with Cena and longtime girlfriend turned fiancee Nikki Bella parting ways just weeks out from their wedding. Although the two seem to be patching things up, the breakup hit Cena hard who expressed his love for Bella and his devastation during a number of interviews.
He also decided to grow a beard, although I'm sure you'll agree, looking at the picture above it's a pretty poor effort from the C-nation leader.
This meme points out that while the majority of media outlets were quick to state Cena has grown a beard, what he actually has is a fine layer of bum fluff that's nowhere near long enough to be considered a beard. As someone who has a beard, I have to agree this is a horrible effort by Cena. Thankfully his unsightly facial hair only lasted a few days and the fresh-faced Cena we know and hate is back.
7 Punk vs Lesnar
A few weeks ago Brock Lesnar became the longest-serving reigning champion of the modern era. Lesnar has held the Universal Title for over 434 days, breaking CM Punk's previously held record. It's quite a feat for someone to be champion for such an extended period of time, and while Lesnar must be congratulated on this achievement, it's not as amazing as it sounds. As this meme points out Lesnar has only defended the title on 10 occasions since winning the strap at WrestleMania 33 in April 2017. During this time he's also appeared periodically on television and has been labeled a part-time champion by fans. In contrast, Punk put his title on the line an incredible 141 times during his 434 day reign, making a mockery of Lesnar's record. He would eventually lose the title to a returning Rock, signaling the end of his time with the company. Although this meme might not be laugh out loud funny, it's hard not to have a chuckle at the way the WWE have used Lesnar as champion. His lack of involvement in storylines and television time has only hurt the credibility of the title and the sooner a new champ is crowned the better. Let's just hope it's not Roman Reigns.
6 Big E Or Carlton Banks?
Big E Langston is a member of the extremely popular faction known as The New Day. Along with veteran Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, the three have been ever-present on WWE television over the past four years. The trio have claimed the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship twice and the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship twice and are one of the most exciting things about the current Smackdown roster. Of all the members Big E has the most chance of becoming a legitimate Heavyweight Champion at some stage in his career thanks to his sheer size and power.
As you can see from the picture above Big E has an uncanny resemblance to Alfonso Ribeiro who played Carlton Banks on the sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. Not only do they look the same but Big E's dance moves are just as impressive as Banks'. Of course, Big E is about three times the size of Banks but by the time Fresh Prince ended Banks had quite an imposing physique. I guess if they ever decide to reboot the show Big E would be the perfect Banks.
5 Because You're Worth It
There's no disputing the fact AJ Styles is one of the best wrestlers not only in the WWE, but in the entire world. The current WWE Champion on SmackDown, Styles had taken all before him during his short tenure in the WWE, having been a two time United States Champion and WWE Champion. Debuting at the Royal Rumble in 2016 Styles is a fan favourite who has been involved in some of the best matches and rivalries.
While it's hard to find a fault with The Phenomenal One many fans are suspicious of Styles haircut.
His long, vibrant hair is often compared to that of a soccer mom, with other wrestlers constantly taking the mickey out of his feminine look. One fan has taken this to the extreme be creating this meme sporting Styles as the face of beauty product L'Oreal Paris. Flicking his hair back and smiling Styles is the ideal model for the companies hair products, with the meme even including the companies slogan, "Because you're worth it." This is very inventive and a great meme I'm sure even AJ would find funny.
4 Maybe The WWE Wasn't That Bad...
When CM Punk parted ways with the WWE many people wondered if he'd go back to wrestling the indie scene or get into films and television. What nobody predicted was the former champion turning to MMA and joining the UFC. In his late 30s and with little martial arts training, Punk dedicated himself to the sport but has come up short when it counts. His first fight took place in 2016 and ended in a first-round loss to Mickey Gall after he was placed in a submission hold. His second fight happened just weeks ago against Mike Jackson where he was battered from pillar to post, losing to a unanimous decision from the judges. Since that fight, there has been an overwhelming sense of negativity towards Punk, with Joe Rogan and UFC owner Dana White both declaring Punk's days in the octagon are over. Fans have also been quick to stick the boot in, with this meme a wonderful description of Punk's situation. Leaving the WWE due to creative differences, including his program with Ryback, Punk appears to be considering how wrestling the Big Guy might not have been a bad choice considering how his time in the UFC turned out.
3 They're Creepy And They're Kooky
The return of Kurt Angle was a monumental moment in WWE history. Having left the company in 2006 amid controversial circumstances it took over a decade before the Olympic gold medalist would foot step back inside a WWE ring, appointed the General Manager of Raw. On the flip side, Paige is the youngest ever female champion at the age of 21 when she captured the Diva's Championship. Unfortunately, her career has been plagued by injury and suspensions and she was forced to retire earlier this year. The good news for Paige is her employment as SmackDown General Manager, meaning she is still involved with a business she loves despite not being able to wrestle. Both Angle and Paige have unique looks and as the above meme points out the two are dead ringers for Wednesday Adam and Uncle Fester from The Addams Family. The meme shows them when they were younger and how they've grown up and look like they currently do. It's a spot on representation of the two, with Paige sporting the white skin and black hair of Wednesday and Angle's shiny bald head and facial features similar to those of Uncle Fester.